


Their Path

by lara_s



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5172956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lara_s/pseuds/lara_s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vic works his magic again.  Post WYLB, some of the Enterprise crew stops at DS9.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Path

“You must be new.” Talla smiles at the bewildered looking, unfamiliar, young woman in a Starfleet uniform. Stretching out her hand in that awkward, still unfamiliar human greeting ritual, she introduces herself; “Nevim Talla. Bajoran Militia. I’ve only been here myself for six months. Deep Space Nine is a bit overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Ensign Christina Carter,” the Starfleet woman responds, smiling back. “So”, she says, gesturing to the bustling crowd around them in the replomat, “is this place usually this busy? Where’s a girl to eat lunch?”

“Yeah, unfortunately this is pretty normal for around this time. There’s more seating around the corner. Care to join me?”

As the women make their way to an empty table, Talla points out the establishment across the way. “Have you been to Quark’s yet?”

Carter shakes her head. “No, but I hear there’s holosuites,” she says with excitement. “I can’t wait to try them!”

“Definitely fun, but overpriced and you have to book pretty far in advance,” Talla advises. “Holosuite two is usually open to everyone though. You might like it. The program’s a casino on Earth. Supposedly it was a favorite of the original senior staff back from when Sisko was in charge during the Dominion war. Someone then ordered that it run twenty-six hours a day and it has ever since. Supposedly, it takes Captain Kira herself to shut it down.”

“Want to check it out?”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“S’arth to Kira,” the monotone voice of the Vulcan lieutenant comes across the com link; “Captain, the shuttle with the Enterprise crew members has docked. You asked to be informed.”

Kira Nerys happily tosses aside the latest engineering reports she’d been reading and responds, “Yes, acknowledged. Thank you. I’m on my way.”

Since the end of the Dominion War, exploration of the Gamma quadrant has been cautiously underway. Four members of the famous starship had, for months now, been on a diplomatic mission to a certain number of planets there. Now that the talks had, presumably successfully, been completed, the officers would be staying on Deep Space Nine until they could meet up with their ship. Kira was looking forward to meeting them.  

The small group emerges from the air lock and gathers in front of Kira. All four have a rather weary look Kira understands all too well, the look of someone who has been on an exhausting away mission for far too long. She hopes their stay on Deep Space Nine proves to be a relaxing one.  

Although she’s never met him in person before, she quickly picks out the renowned Jean-Luc Picard. She knows of him, of course. Sisko had spoken of him with a great deal of admiration. At first glance, Kira finds Picard a rather unassuming man. However, he radiates an inner strength of purpose and strong moral character similar to her dearly departed Odo. Kira gets the impression that Picard is a trustworthy, honorable man worthy of her respect. She considers the others as Picard starts introducing them.

The first officer, Riker, is a good looking, affable man who simply oozes confidence and charm. This one, she thinks, reminds her a bit of Shaakar. The man looks vaguely familiar and Kira recalls an incident on the station some time ago involving a twin brother of his. Or was it a double? She can’t remember the particulars and makes a mental note to look it up later.

Beverly Crusher, the ship’s chief medical officer, steps forward next. The elegant red head has a genuine seeming smile on her face and mischievous sparkle in her eyes that hints at a rebellious spirit. Kira takes an instant liking to her and decides she’d like to get to know the doctor better.

Then the fourth member of the group, Counselor Deanna Troi. Troi is stunningly beautiful and with an open, welcoming manner. Kira had barely interacted with the elder Troi when she’d been on the station previously, but the eccentric Luxwana Troi had been a friend to Odo. For that alone, Kira considers herself in the Counselor’s debt.

All in all, Kira’s impressed with her illustrious guests. “Welcome to Deep Space Nine,” she says and ushers the group down the corridor. “The station runs as smoothly as it does these days in large part due to the work of your own former crew member, Mr. Miles O’Brien…”

“Here at the end of the promenade to the left is the main security office,” Kira is telling them when Riker notices Troi suddenly go pale and stumble. Standing behind the others as they are, no one else sees as he unobtrusively reaches out an arm to steady her.

“Dee? Are you okay?” Riker hisses as Jean-Luc and Beverly engage Kira in a lively discussion about differences in security measures on the station versus on a starship.

Deanna clings to Riker and lets the emotions flow through her for a moment. Powerful feelings of loss, loneliness, pride and love. Coming from the Bajoran captain Deanna realizes in amazement. The sensations are so strong they nearly knock the Betazoid to her feet before she’s able to get ahold of herself. She takes a couple deep calming breaths and nods to Riker. “Too much stimuli,” she whispers back. “Our host is a rather strong willed individual who has some very particular emotions somehow connected to the security office.” She says no more, unwilling to be any more specific, not even with Will, who, bless his heart, understands and doesn’t pry.

The group moves on.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It’s late and despite the busy day she can’t sleep. The insomnia is nothing new, but irritating nonetheless. With a sigh, Kira Nerys gets out of bed. Might as well do something. She considers finishing up the crew evaluations that need to be done by the end of the week, but doesn’t have the focus necessary for work. Nor does she particularly feel like meditating or going to the Bajoran temple. Instead, Kira finds herself getting dressed and making her way to the holosuites. It’s a habit she’s developed over the past years, visiting with Vic. He may be a hologram but he’s a friend. And Kira Nerys, more than anyone, knows the value of a good friend.

The ‘night’ shift on DS9 is a skeleton crew and the corridors are pretty much deserted at this hour. Except for Quarks which is still doing a brisk business. The place never seems to shut down. No one notices or pays any attention to their commanding officer as she silently slips past the drunken revelry at the dabo tables and heads up the stairs to the second level. Standing outside the door to the holosuite is none other than the Counselor from the Enterprise.

“The Ferengi suggested I come up here, told me I’d have fun” the Counselor says. “I’ve been debating for almost ten minutes now whether to go in or not. I doubt I need to be half Betazoid to sense that his idea of fun is going to be wildly different from my own.”

“And you’d likely be right about that,” Kira mutters. “However, the little troll wouldn’t dare mess with this program. I’d kill him and he knows it.” Kira punches in the code to open the door as she talks, “You’re welcome to join me, if you want to. I wouldn’t mind the company. Hope you like old Earth music.”

Deanna follows her in and finds herself entering a richly appointed old fashioned lounge and bar. “Vic? Are you around?” Kira calls out.

Deanna watches in surprise as a distinguished looking older gentleman walks out from behind the stage area and gives the Bajoran a warm hug. “Dollface, of course I’m around for you. It’s about time you stopped by. And you brought a friend!”

There’s something about the man that Troi can’t quite put her finger on. He releases Kira and turns around to address Deanna. “Hello there. I’m Vic Fontaine.”

“Deanna Troi.” She can’t help but smile back at him.

“Let me show you two lovely ladies to a seat.” Vic puts a friendly arm around each of them. “Nerys,” he says, as he steers them towards a table, “take some advice from your favorite hologram and ease up. I can see it in your face. This hunk of space metal can run just fine without you working yourself to death.”

“A hologram,” Deanna blurts out inadvertently interrupting them. “That’s it! I thought you were another person at first but I can’t sense anything from you. But you know what you are? Where you are? How is that possible?”

“Vic is a self-aware hologram,” Kira says.

“The one and only,” adds in Vic.

Deanna shakes her head letting her confusion and misbelief fall aside and just goes with it. She’s in Starfleet after all. She learned a long time ago that if there’s anything you can expect, it’s the unexpected.    

Vic brings them each a drink from his private collection. It’s real alcohol, not the replicated stuff, and he pointedly ignores Kira’s queries as to how and where it was obtained. Via Quark undoubtedly. Deanna’s entertained by hearing about the great casino heist and other going ons in the lounge. In turn, she tells them about Worf’s wild west program on the Enterprise which has Kira laughing so hard her stomach hurts.

It’s not very long before Vic insists on playing a couple numbers for them. As the band starts up, Deanna squeals like an excited child. Oh, Will would just love this! He’s an amateur musician. Very amateur,” she confesses to Kira with a smirk, ‘but this is right up his alley.”

“Bring him tomorrow,” Kira says, “Vic is always happy to meet new people. Always the quintessential entertainer.”

The women sit in comfortable companionship enjoying the music and sipping their drinks. After a handful of songs, to much applause, Vic comes over and tells them he’s done for the night but that they are welcome to stick around for as long as they’d like. Kira looks to Deanna who nods her agreement and they pour another round.

Kira, leaning back in her chair, is the most relaxed she’s been in a long time. Whether it’s the drinks, the company or both she isn’t sure, but she’s sober enough to realize this kind of night out is something she has sorely needed. “Damn,” she swears. “Vic’s right. I really do need to ease up. I haven’t, not really, not since Odo left.”

Deanna senses the same intense wave of emotions from her companion that nearly knocked her to her feet earlier in the day. She hadn’t made the connection before. Odo. The former security chief. Deanna knows as well as anyone about the changeling that essentially ended the Dominion War. She’d forgotten that Odo had been romantically linked to the rough and tumble, feisty woman sitting next to her. “Do you want to talk about it,” she asks Kira gently.

Surprisingly, and rather uncharacteristically, Nerys actually answers. She tells Deanna everything. It all spills out. “My dearest friend. My rock. My confidant. We went through so much together.” Kira pauses for a moment to collect herself. “He was in love with me the whole time. I found out quite by accident and, at the time, tried to run away from the truth that was right in front of me. Fool that I am, I’m not sure I ever would have realized it either if it weren’t for Vic’s intervention with both of us.” Kira knocks back another drink. “Odo’s off saving the damn universe and I love him all the more for it, but prophets, I miss him terribly. Always will.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________     

Hours later, staggering into her temporary quarters, Deanna Troi unceremoniously plops onto the bed. She recalls what Kira told her about the hologram, Vic, and how he brought Kira and the shapeshifter together. In her rather inebriated state something occurs to her and she just has to share. Without hesitation, Deanna reaches out with her mind; _“Imzadi, are you still up?”_

Down the corridor in his own quarters, Riker wakes to a laughing persistent presence in his head. The telepathic bond he has with Deanna used to unnerve him, but he’s gotten more than used to it over the years. Welcomes it. Usually, anyway. At the moment, he’s too amused at the fact that she’s obviously drunk, a rarity, to be irritated at being woken up. “ _I’m awake now,”_ he responds. “ _Enjoying your time off are you?”_

_“They have the most amazing holosuite program here Will. There’s a band. You’ll like it. And I have an idea. It involves introducing the Captain and Beverly to this holocharacter who I think can finally convince them to recognize their feelings for each other…”_ Deanna rambles on, not making a lot of sense to the only half-awake Riker.

_“Dee,”_ he thinks back to her. _“Can’t this wait until morning?”_

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The next evening, Deanna escorts her comrades to the holosuites.

“Vegas!” Riker exclaims, his eyes lighting up, upon walking in. “You weren’t kidding Deanna, this is great!”

Kira is already there and comes over to great them. “How does a Bajoran on the far side of the galaxy know about Vegas?” Riker asks her with a teasing smile.

“I don’t. Or rather, I didn’t” she says. “Not my program, I’ve only adopted it as my own. It has a rather special charm to it.”

“This is really quite lovely,” says Beverly looking around. “Oh, look over there, a card room. We’ll play a game before we leave everyone? You too, Jean-Luc,” she makes a point of including the man at her side before he can demur like he normally does when she invites him to poker. “Though, I should warn you all that I’m on a winning streak I don’t intend to stop.”

“Bev, we haven’t had poker night since we left the Enterprise. You can’t call that a winning streak,” Riker gives her a friendly punch on the shoulder.

“Well, I won the last time didn’t I? I think that counts. Do you play?” she asks Kira.

Kira nods with a predatory look. “I’ve been taught. I can hold my own too. Just in case you think the naïve Bajoran will make an easy target.”

She aims her good natured barb at Riker but it is Picard who responds. “She’s got you there Number One. Don’t underestimate this one.” He winks at her.

The group scatters to explore the casino. Riker, led by Kira, heads towards the blackjack table and Jean-Luc and Beverly wander off in the opposite direction. Deanna however is on a mission and tracks down Vic at the bar. Dragging him off to a corner, they have an animated conversation that ends with Deanna looking mighty pleased with herself.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Returning after a pleasant evening out, she’s only been back in her quarters for a couple minutes when she hears it. “Hey pretty lady.”

Beverly startles and looks around for the intruder in her room.

“Red head! I know you’re there.”

She relaxes. The voice is familiar, the man she’d just met in the holoprogram… “Vic?” He’s talking to her through the com link in the wall she realizes. “How are you outside your program like this?”

“Never mind that,” he says. “Come back to lounge.”

“I just got into my room”

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Beverly returns to the cleared out lounge to find Vic and Kira sitting at an empty table. They wave her over.

Vic starts in without preamble. “Listen. Beverly. I may be a hologram, but I know a lot about people. You and that Captain of yours are as bad as Kira here and Odo ever were. Possibly worse, though that’s up for debate.” Vic shakes his head. ”Stubborn, obtuse pair of cranky aliens. They couldn’t have been any more perfect for each other but each of them refused to admit it. If they managed to figure it out though, there’s hope for you.”

Kira shoots Vic a mild dirty look. “Other than calling me cranky, he’s completely right.”

Beverly’s lost and looks to Kira in confusion. “What –are- you guys talking about?”

“Baldie,” Vic says, “He loves you. And you love him. He’s waiting for you to make a move. Do something about it already.”

Beverly sighs, irritation flashing in her eyes. “This is what you brought me back here to talk about? I care about Jean-Luc a great deal, but we are just friends.”

Vic says nothing but simply raises an eyebrow at her.

“Oh ok. I’ll admit it. I do love him,” she confesses with a groan, the fight going out of her. “I can’t believe I’m discussing this with you. I’ve never even talked to Deanna about it.”

That Jean-Luc is in love with her is no secret. They’d only been telepathically linked for a brief period, but there was no denying the depth of his feelings. He’d been surprisingly open about it. Not that their situation had left him much choice to do otherwise. Of course, then she went and panicked and told him she didn’t want to pursue it. Those old demons that wouldn’t let her get close to anyone, the scars she bore as a result of Arvada III and, later, Jack’s death, haunted her with a vengeance. She’d regretted her words then almost instantly, but hadn’t the courage to take them back and tell him otherwise.    

Unable to sit still, pacing up and down between the tables, she turns back to Vic. “I’ve pushed him away so many times now, I’m not sure if he even feels that way anymore. I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t. There’s just so much complicated history between us… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come –this- close to throwing caution to the wind and just going for it. But I haven’t. He wants more from me, he deserves better from me, then an impulsive fling and I just don’t know if I can do it.”

“You’re scared,” Vic states.

“Terrified,” she acknowledges.

“Sit down and let me tell you something” Kira admonishes the doctor. For the second time in as many days, Nerys finds herself yet again telling the story of her and Odo. There are tears in Beverly’s eyes as the tough-as-nails Bajoran wraps it up. “We got to the right place in the end. My only regret is that we didn’t realize it sooner. But we got there, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.” Kira shrugs and a sad smile passes across her face. “If I can inspire someone else to find the same happiness we did, all the better.”    

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Jean-Luc? Meet me for dinner at Vic’s tonight?” There was nothing particularly strange about the request from his chief medical officer. They shared meals frequently. Furthermore, Will and Deanna had decided to go to Bajor. They weren’t due back until tomorrow and the station commander they’d all gotten so friendly with was presumably on shift. It wasn’t like Beverly had a huge choice of dinner companions. Nonetheless, Jean Luc sensed there was something more to her words. He stewed about it all afternoon until it was finally it was time.

He finds her sitting at the bar. God she’s beautiful, he thinks as he lets himself stare at her for a moment. It’s been a while since he’s seen her wearing anything other than her uniform. The red dress fits her like a glove and the effect is stunning.

“Vic offered to play a song. We didn’t get to dance yesterday,” she says by way of greeting. She gives him a smile and holds out a hand. Without hesitation, he takes it and sweeps her into his arms as the music starts to play.

They’ve danced before of course. Like always, they fit together perfectly. Jean-Luc twirls her around the room. The atmosphere is intense, romantic. He’s finding it hard to keep his thought platonic as he knows he should. When Beverly reaches up, traces his jawline and whispers his name, he’s so surprised that he stops right there on the dance floor.

“Beverly?”

“I had a moment of clarity last night Jean-Luc. I’m not afraid anymore”.


End file.
